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The Bush Administration recently signed new legislation — the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 — into law that will give more than 130 million Americans as much as $152 billion to redistribute back into the economy. The payment amounts will equal the amount of one’s tax liability on their 2007 tax return ($600). That amount doubles for joint tax filers to ...

The Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) administers several important health benefit laws covering employer-based health plans. They govern your basic rights to information about how your health plan works, how to qualify for benefits, and how to make claims for benefits. In addition, there are specific laws protecting your right to health benefits when you lose coverage or ...

According to a study of college students at the Ernst & Young International Intern Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida, 59 percent of these young leaders expect to be millionaires within their lifetime. What's more, 5 percent of them expect to hit the million-dollar mark while in their 20s. And the super-rich are a growing group. The top 0.1 percent of the ...

The federal government offers both group life and long term care insurance programs. Both plans provide employees with a long-term safety net that is becoming increasingly rare in the private sector. Short summaries of the two plans are provided below. Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) FEGLI is a group term life insurance program. It consists of Basic life insurance coverage ...

Hundreds of years of unoriginal cards, flowers, and bad chocolate has left Valentine's Day a bit stale. It's cliché to "tell that special someone," and just as cliché to be bitter, as the whole world turns a cheeky shade of Pepto-Bismol. Two days before we're all depressed and panicked, realizing how unexciting, unromantic, and boring we are the rest of the ...

The Federal Government provides many programs for workers to support their needs for individual flexibility. For example, flexible work schedules allow employees to adjust their work hours in order to take a day off each pay period. Employees can enjoy twenty-six 3-day weekends! Also, the Federal Government's Alternative Work Schedule (AWS) allows employees to select certain arrival and departure times that ...

Federal agencies use special incentives to attract and hold talented employees. These incentives usually come in the form of one-time bonuses paid directly to new employees. The federal government offers three types: Recruitment Incentives A recruitment bonus is an incentive an agency may pay to a newly-appointed employee if the agency has determined that the position is likely to be difficult ...

Federal agencies are permitted to repay federally insured student loans as a recruitment or retention incentive for candidates or current employees of the agency. Student loan repayment is considered a selective benefit and agencies do not provide to every employee. Eligible Loans Student loans are eligible if they are insured by the federal government under the Higher Education Act of 1965 ...

A Flexible Spending Account, or FSA, is an employee benefit program that allows you to set aside money, on a pre-tax basis, for certain health care and dependent care expenses. That means YOU keep more of your money. These programs are administered by the Federal Spending Accounts Program (FSAFEDS). This program offers three types of accounts: Health Care FSA (HCFSA) [gate] ...

Federal employees enjoy a highly competitive health insurance program called the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHB). This program offers many unique and enticing features that set it apart from many private health insurance programs. These features are listed below: A Government Contribution The government pays 72 percent of the average premium toward the total cost of the your premium, but ...

Over the next 10 years, 60% of people in the Federal workforce will be eligible to retire. More than likely, 40% of these individuals will retire when they are first eligible. How is OPM proactively preparing for the increased number and complexity of retirement applications expected across the Federal Government? How is OPM responding to increased customer demand for online, self-service ...

The Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) is a three-tiered retirement plan. The three components are: Social Security Benefits, the Basic Benefit Plan, and the Thrift Savings Plan. You pay full Social Security taxes and a small contribution to the Basic Benefit Plan. In addition, your agency puts an amount equal to 1% of your basic pay each pay period into your ...

Federal employees are entitled to at least 13 days of vacation leave as well as 13 days of sick leave each year. Depending on years of service, employees can earn up to 26 days of vacation leave each year. In addition, Federal employees get 10 days paid holiday each year. This allows employees time to spend with their families and to ...

A career or career-conditional employee of one agency may transfer, without a break in service of a single workday, to a competitive service position in another agency without competing in a civil service examination open to the public. A transfer eligible may apply under vacancy announcements open to status candidates. An employee may transfer to a position at the same, higher, ...

An agency may pay a relocation incentive to a current employee who must relocate to accept a position in a different geographic area if the agency determines that the position is likely be difficult to fill in the absence of an incentive. A relocation incentive may be paid only when the employee's rating of record under an official performance appraisal or ...

An agency may pay a recruitment incentive to a newly-appointed employee if the agency has determined that the position is likely to be difficult to fill in the absence of an incentive. Covered Positions A recruitment incentive may be paid to an eligible individual who is appointed to a General Schedule (GS), senior-level (SL), scientific or professional (ST), Senior Executive Service ...

A health plan that provides care through a network of physicians and hospitals in particular geographic or service areas. HMOs coordinate the health care service you receive and free you from completing paperwork or being billed for covered services. Your eligibility to enroll in an HMO is determined by where you live or, for some plans, where you work. Some HMOs ...

Fee-For-Service (FFS) plans generally use two approaches. Fee-for-Service (FFS) Plans (non-PPO) A traditional type of insurance in which the health plan will either pay the medical provider directly or reimburse you after you have filed an insurance claim for each covered medical expense. When you need medical attention, you visit the doctor or hospital of your choice. This approach may be ...

Employees As a Federal employee, you are eligible to elect FEHB coverage, unless your position is excluded by law or regulation. Your agency applies these rules and determines your eligibility. However, there are numerous special provisions for people in part-time or intermittent employment, temporary appointments, and specifically named positions. Dependents Family members eligible for coverage under yourself and family enrollment ...